Lagos State Police Command has arrested 80 suspects and recovered firearms, ammunition, six vehicles, and other criminal exhibits during a series of operations conducted across the state from October 1 to 7. The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, announced the developments during a press conference held at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Wednesday. The operations targeted armed robbery, vandalism, traffic robbery, recruitment fraud, and other criminal activities, reflecting the police’s intensified efforts to restore security in the state.
Among the items recovered were four Beretta pistols, eight locally made pistols, four rounds of live 9mm ammunition, six mobile phones, six battle axes, four cutlasses, a toy gun, five sacks of illicit drugs, and vandalised iron materials and electrical wires. These seizures underscore the scale of criminal networks operating in Lagos and the police’s ability to dismantle them through intelligence-led operations. The command also recovered four vehicles linked to a suspected receiver of stolen cars, including a black Lexus RX 330 Jeep, a 2018 white Toyota Camry, a 1999 white Toyota Camry, and a red Ford vehicle.
Nine suspects were apprehended for alleged vandalism along the Coastal Road, while 19 others were arrested over fraudulent job recruitment in Tori-Lovi Community, Age-Mowo. The 19 suspects, comprising 17 males and two females, had lured unsuspecting individuals with fake employment offers. Additionally, 29 suspects were arrested for traffic robbery along the Lekki-Epe axis, highlighting ongoing challenges along major highways. A 43-year-old man was also detained at Ishawo Agric, Ikorodu, for receiving stolen vehicles from a three-man criminal gang, with two members still at large.
Fourteen suspects were arrested in Maroko for public nuisance, while an alleged gang leader was apprehended in connection with the attack and robbery of a military officer and his family in Itire. The incident occurred on October 4, when hoodlums blocked the victim’s vehicle, assaulted him and his wife, stole N300,000, and damaged their car. In another case, a 28-year-old suspect was arrested for drugging a female victim in Ikeja and stealing three mobile phones worth N3.02 million. He allegedly gave her juice mixed with a hard drug before taking the phones.
Three more suspects aged between 25 and 38 were arrested for armed robbery and phone-snatching around Westminster and Marine Bridge, with three phones recovered. Another suspect was arrested with a stolen 2015 Toyota Corolla, reportedly taken from his uncle in Enugu and brought to Lagos for disposal. The police also raided known criminal hideouts, recovering weapons and narcotics. Commissioner Tijani emphasized that these successes reflect the command’s commitment to proactive policing and urged the public to continue providing credible tips. He assured residents that operations will continue to dismantle criminal networks and protect lives and infrastructure across Lagos.
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